Roll-leaf and method of making the same



D. D. SWIFT ROLL LEAF AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME July 18, 1944.

' Filed Dec. 25, 1939 ATTORNEY v Patented July 18, 1944 ROLL-LEAF AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Donald 1). Swift, ammo, em, assignor to M. Swift & Sons, Inc., a corporation of Connectlcut Application December 23, 1939, Serial No. 810,779

(Cl. 41--3'l) 4 Claims.

7 My present invention relates to an improved gold or metallic leaf sheet or ribbon, for use in the imprinting or ornamentation of leather, cloth, or other surfaces.

It is customary to utilize gold or other metallic leaf ribbon or roll for stamping, embossing, and ornamenting surfaces such as leather, cloth, and the like, in order to reduce the number of operations required, to facilitate the application of the metallic leaf to delicate material, and to place the metallic leaf and the sizing therefor in a sales package which does not require excessive care and attention. The metallic leaf ribbons now in use thus include a carrier strip of paper having a coating of beeswax or other releasable material, on which a layer of metallic leaf is placed, a sizing coat of varnish or the like being placed on the layer of metallic leaf. The sizing may be clear or may have a flller material of yellow ochre, titanium oxide, or any other suitable material, such as is described in my U. S. Patent No. 1,974,883, dated September 25, 1934, entitled Manufacture of gold leaf carrier.

The use of glassine paper as a carrier has certain disadvantages which the art has attempted to overcome by the use of substitutes, and particularly Cellophane. However, Cellophane expands and contracts in response to atmospheric conditions and causes the leaf to crack and peel before use. It becomes soft in summer weather by moisture absorption and causes the impression to matte. This condition is often serious enough to require water proofing, which is not desirable.

strip l of cellulose acetate is provided. A coating 2 of a releasable, combined adherent and burnishing material is placed on the face thereof, the preferred material being a wax such as beeswax. Over this a layer 3 of gold or metallic leaf is applied. The final coat 4 is then applied, this final coat being a sizing, such as French varnish, which maybe clear or may be provided with an intimate mixture of suitable filler material such as for example yellow ochre, titanium oxide, or the like.

The cellulose acetate carrier strip is of approximately the same size and thickness, and is used in the identical manner, as glassine paper. The cellulose acetate is first coated with wax, one way of coating comprising spreading liquid wax, which is obtained by dissolving beeswax in carbon tetrachloride or a similar solvent, on the cellulose acetate sheet, the metallic leaf being then placed on the wax. The sizing, either clear or pigmented, may then be applied to the sold, either manually, or by running the strip over a sizing roller.

The resultant novel strip therefore comprises a carrier strip of cellulose acetate, a layer of beeswax or other suitable combined burnishing and adhering material, a layer of gold or other metallic leaf, and a final coat of sizing, either clear or pigmented.

For use as a carrier, I prefer to use commercial cellulose acetate which has a suitable plasticizer and softener incorporated therein such as tri- The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier strip having none of the disadvantages found in the use of glassine paper and Cellophane and having many advantages heretofore unobtainalble.

To this end, I have devised a novel metallic leaf ribbon which includes a new type of carrier strip which is non-hygroscopic and non-metallic, and which overcomes the operating defects and dimculties encountered with the use of glassine paper and Cellophane.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel method of manufacture and a novel product more fully described in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the appended claims.

The drawing is a perspective view of a strip or ribbon of metallic leaf made in accordance with the invention.

In manufacturing the novel product, a carrier cresyl phosphate. A wide range of tolerance, as to the kind and quantity of the plasticizer, may be used with line results. The cellulose acetate should be of a preferred thickness of between .001 inch and .008 inch and preferably .0012 inch. The resulting product is much tougher than glassine paper and will not break under the stamping press. There is no need for waterproofing the celluloseacetate because it is not affected by weather conditions and will not matte the impression. Furthermore, it provides a flatter, smoother, and cleaner finish which will take the releasing wax easier and more evenly. The cellulose acetate transmits the heat of the die readily and does not crack or become stiff or brittle, and does not break down or change its form. Length or conditions of storage do not appreciably affect the cellulose acetate. Moreover, the cellulose acetate is of uniform thickness and has a very smooth surface and easily releases the metal under the stamping press die.

While I have described the use of cellulose acetate as a carrier for metallic leaf, it is obvious that it can also be used as a carrier for bronze or other so-called imitation powders or pigments.

While I have described a specific material for the carrier strip, it is obvious that other materials or mixtures of materials having similar physical and chemical characteristics may be used instead, within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a carrier strip of cellulose acetate, a layer of releasable burnishing and adhering material thereon, a layer of metallic leaf thereomand a coat of sizing thereon.

2. In combination, a carrier strip of cellulose acetate having a plasticizer incorporated therein, a layer 01' releasable burnishing and adh material thereon, a layer or metallic leaf thereon, and a coat of sizing thereon.

3. In combination, a carrier strip ofcellulose acetate, a layer of releasable burnishing and adhering material thereon, a layer 01' metallic leaf thereon, and a pigmented coat or sizing thereon.

4. In combination, a carrier strip of cellulose acetate having a plasticizer incorporated therein, a layer of releasable burnishing and adhering material thereon, a layer of metallic leaf thereon, and a pigmented coat of sizing thereon.

DONALD D. BWIF'I. 

